Imagine living a pain-free life again
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
Scientifically proven effective treatment for chronic pain.
Effective
98% of patients experience significant pain relief. 66% achieve complete or nearly complete pain resolution.
Long lasting
Research shows that pain relief following Pain Reprocessing Therapy lasts at least one year.
Fast pain Relief
Patients undergoing Pain Reprocessing Therapy report feeling better after just a few sessions.
What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)?
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment for chronic pain that is based on the latest scientific understanding of how the brain processes and responds to pain. It’s an innovative method for treating chronic pain, focusing on long-term relief.
Pain and The Brain
How Does Pain Reprocessing Therapy Work For Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is now understood to be a condition that is caused by changes in the way the brain processes and responds to pain signals.
These changes can occur as a result of initial tissue damage or medical conditions, but they can also be triggered by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression. This type of chronic pain is now referred to as neuroplastic pain.
One of the key changes that occur in the brain of chronic pain patients is an increase in fear and avoidance. This means that people with chronic pain start to become afraid of activities or situations that they think might make their pain worse. They then start to avoid these activities or situations, which can lead to a vicious cycle of increasing fear and avoidance. This is known as the pain fear cycle.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy takes advantage of the new understanding of chronic pain to provide an effective, long-lasting treatment that can achieve a complete resolution of even long-standing chronic pain.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy works by retraining the brain to deactivate pain.
Assessment
Step 1
Learn About Pain
Step 2
Gather Evidence
Step 3
Appraise Pain Sensations
Step 4
Address Threats
Step 5
Develop positive Emotions
The Evidence
Research Findings On Pain Reprocessing Therapy
In a randomized controlled trial published by JAMA Psychiatry in 2021, 151 people with mild to moderate chronic back pain were recruited and randomized to receive one of three treatments: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (9 sessions administered over 4 weeks), placebo and usual care.
All patients were asked to rate their pain intensity before starting the treatment. Four weeks later, participants rated their pain levels again and underwent fMRI scans to examine their brain activity.
At the end of four weeks, 66% of people who underwent PRT said they were either pain-free or nearly pain-free. In contrast, only 20% of those receiving placebo injections and 10% of those getting usual care reported similar improvements.
Patients-reported improvements in pain intensity were supported by fMRI scans. The brains of people who underwent Pain Reprocessing Therapy had significantly decreased activity in the areas that were responsible for pain processing and increased activity in the areas associated with positive emotions.
Remarkably, when the researchers followed up one year later, the improvements in pain were maintained without further therapy.
Other studies, currently in publication, show similar results.
This suggests that Pain Reprocessing Therapy is an effective way to break the pain cycle and achieve a complete resolution of chronic pain.
What Conditions can Pain Reprocessing Therapy Help?
Pain Reprocessing Therapy is beneficial for conditions associated with centralized pain, offering new hope for those who suffer from this complex type of pain, including:
- Chronic low back pain
- Neck pain
- Osteoarthritis pain
- Fibromyalgia pain
- Other types of chronic musculoskeletal pain
- Headaches and migraines
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Over 30 Years of Experience in Pain Management
Advanced Pain Reprocessing Therapy Practitioner
Alan Szmelskyj
DO, MSc, Adv Dip Clin Hyp, FRSPH
Alan has been practising for over 30 years at two clinics in Huntingdon and Cambridge, UK. He also offers virtual consultations online. He has authored many scientific publications and lectures nationally and internationally.
Alan has always been interested in the neuroscience of chronic pain, particularly with respect to patients who do not respond to standard treatments. This interest led him to train in new pain management approaches, such as hypnotherapy for pain and Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
Alan is one of only a few therapists in the UK who are trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy with Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center and holds an Advanced Pain Reprocessing Therapy qualification.
Alan Szmelskyj
Discover how we treat chronic pain effectively with Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
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